2009 Honda FCX Clarity Preview

Warning: It gets a little complicated from here.


The workings of a fuel cell will befuddle pretty much everyone who didn’t get an A in Advanced Placement Chemistry. An oversimplification: Hydrogen passes through a membrane which strips out the electricity and sends it to a battery or an electric motor. In the process, the pure hydrogen combines with oxygen to produce water.


For techno-geeks, the FCX Clarity uses a proton exchange membrane fuel cell that produces 100 kilowatts and 288 volts of power. Its alternating current synchronous permanent-magnet electric motor makes 134 horsepower, about the same as many current economy cars. Since its maximum torque of 189 pound-feet occurs at zero rpm, the FCX Clarity will hold its own in the stoplight drags.

While all current hybrids use nickel-metal hydride batteries, the Clarity employs lithium-ion batteries, not dissimilar to those found in laptops and cell phones. Li-ion batteries hold more energy than Ni-MH batteries, but the medium to separate components cannot be the flammable liquid found in laptops.


The FCX Clarity drives pretty much like a regular gasoline-engine car. It’s quieter and has a bit shorter fuel range—less than 300 miles—and owners must carefully plan refueling stops. Otherwise, it has everything you’d expect in a Honda economy sedan.


Honda has made notable breakthroughs in its fuel cells. In 2003, its fuel cell weighed 450 pounds and made 60 kilowatts of power. By 2006 weight was down to 150 powers and power up to 100 kilowatts. Honda is working on a solar-powered system that would pull hydrogen from the water. Hydrogen is virtually non-existent in the atmosphere but makes up two out of three water molecules. The trick is to get enough solar or wind-powered energy to replace coal and nuclear to power the process.


Whether the Honda FCX Clarity is the future of the automobile, a small portion of the replacement for petroleum or an interesting technological dead-end, only time will tell. Personally, we hope to last long enough time to learn the answer.

About the Author
Mac Demere is a former racecar driver who ran the NASCAR Southwest Tour and Daytona 24 Hours.